JNS BLOG CUISINE EXCLUSIVE: Cleaning Up Crime Was The EASY Part: Good Sports Bar And Grill Reaches Out To Lunch Time Crowd...

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

First, in a spirit of full disclosure: Mike, the loquacious and irrepressible co-owner of Good Sports Bar and Grill, gave me and my girlfriend complimentary chicken wings, taco salad, chili and non-alcoholic beverages when I walked in the door after a long out-of-state hiatus. I am eating this mountain of food while I type on the keyboard in this LIVE JOHNNY NORTHSIDE FOOD REVIEW!!!!

What else can I do and blog about at the same time? Hmmm. I will have to give the matter some thought.

Closing in upon the one year anniversary of Good Sports Bar and Grill, (200 W. Broadway) Mike shared some surprising insights about his slow but steady success on this rapidly-transforming corner of Broadway.

First of all, the challenge of cleaning up an undesirable criminally-inclined crowd which used to frequent the establishment proved surprisingly easy. Everybody, Mike explained, thought the task would be difficult and perhaps even impossible. Instead, Mike started a business which wouldn't tolerate thuggery and...

...thuggery just melted away.

On the other hand, there was a subtle assumption that a grill with a full lunch time menu would naturally attract a lunch time crowd. Instead, Good Sports has attracted more of an evening crowd while potential lunch time customers buzz right past in cars. But Mike is determined to get the lunch crowd and told me--WE ARE TALKING JOHNNY NORTHSIDE CUISINE EXCLUSIVE HERE, FOLKS!!!--about some new items which aren't even on the menu yet, but will soon be available.

SUPER CHILI BOWL for $6.25. This chili has brisket, not hamburger, and the kidney beans have a perfect flavor and texture instead of just being a "chili afterthought." Served with tortilla chips.

PATTY MELT, $8.50.

COD FILET SANDWICH, $7.25.

The signature item at Good Sports continues to be their chicken wings, which have a spice combo Mike refuses to sell, even when offered large sums of money. He developed the spice combo 22 years ago at his first restaurant, Mike's All Sports Restaurant And Bar. In the top photo, Mike shows how previous photos taken by this author have been added to a little display which was used at a business convention.

"Your photo of the chicken wings made them look as big as a turkey!" Mike laughs.

In the second photo, the famous wings in question. In the third photo, note how the taco salad at Good Sports is actually shaped like a taco, not a big pastry bowl. I don't know why that blows my mind, that what I've accepted so long as "taco salad" isn't even THE RIGHT SHAPE.

Check out Good Sports Bar at lunch time. Just think, until the word gets out you won't have to worry about a crowd.

178 Different Chicken Wing Flavors At The Butcher Block Restaurant, Bar...

Photos By Jeff Skrenes

Here's a great scam: go into a restaurant and order a meal. At the end of the meal, casually mention you are a blogger and ask for a copy of the menu to take with you. For the blog, you know.

Out of nowhere, more entrees will appear, and creme brule for dessert! The owner will come to your table to tell you about his hopes, dreams, and special items not on the menu...the ones you are eating, right now, like Almond Joy Chicken wings (top photo) and Incredible Hulk wings, (bottom photo) which are get their color from green curry and the spice...well, it sort of smashes its way out of nowhere, on the second bite. My favorite was, however, the "white trash" wings which were dipped in mashed potatoes.
Oh, wait. What's that you say?

Um, yeah, I guess that's right. I actually AM a blogger.

OK, so I guess it's not REALLY a scam to accept all this free food. Never mind.

The Butcher Block Restaurant is in "Nordeast," which I consider part of the Johnny Northside beat, click here for their website. 

The "Butcher Block" name might make you think the establishment is very meat-oriented, and certainly it does feature stuff like "carpaccio," which is "raw beef with arugula, permesan, lemon and olive oil." Also, one of the four co-owners is described as the "master butcher."

However, the menu also features vegetarian items like chickpea eggplant falafel. Some other menu items include...

...the homemade lamb burger, grilled octopus, homemade potato gnocchi, and Tuscan chicken liver crostinis. However, the most amazing aspect of the menu is "Ali di Pollo," a collection of 29 different chicken wing flavors. According to co-owner Darin Koch, who is also the chef, there are actually 178 different chicken wing flavors, but not all of them are on the menu. I'm not sure what is required to access the other flavors...apparently, it is enough to know the other flavors exist and to ask the server what "off menu" items are available.

I had the mango curry yogurt wings, as well as something called the "kitchen sink," which I was told required some degree of courage from the diner and may vary from night to night. So of course I had to order THAT, because I have a reputation to uphold. The "kitchen sink" came randomly garnished with fries, vegetables, a stray noodle or two...it looked like a delicious automobile accident. As for the mango curry yogurt, it was mellow and flavorful.

However, it was the secret menu items--Almond Joy and Incredible Hulk chicken wings--that were the real show stealers. Plus such an extensive, secret list of wings makes me want to start at A and work my way to Z, just to say I ate the encyclopedia of chicken wings and lived to tell the tale.

Regular readers know I can get a bit obsessed with lists...especially lists of properties known to be involved with mortgage fraud rings. Well, I can grow obsessed with other lists, as well. Here are the 31 known chicken wing flavors at Butcher Block, which consists of 29 "listed" flavors, as well as the two "off menu" items we were offered. (Almond Joy and Incredible Hulk)

If anybody learns of other flavors...please use the comment threads to post that info.

Thanks, and now here is the list.

House
Sweet or Spicy BBQ
Franks Red Hot Buffalo
Honey Mustard
Spicy Mustard
Volcano
Maple Brown Sugar
Lemon Herb
Bourbon
Country Fried
Teriyaki
Szechuan Hoisin/Plum
Hoisin BBQ
Thai Peanut
Sambal Chili
Sesame
Cacciatore
Marsala
Strawberry Balsamic
Carmelized Onion Balsamic
Salsa Verde
Blackberry Red Wine
Green Coconut Curry
Mango Curry Yogurt
Jerk
Coriander Cumin Lime
Harissa Hungarian Paprika
Cranberry Chili
Kitchen Sink

Off-Menu Items

Almond Joy
Incredible Hulk
White Trash